http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=70087

“Everybody got a deal/ I did it without one,” —Drake, “Forever”

He had the potential to be the first to really do it. He had the forces, artists, team and movement behind him. He possessed a unique mix being clean-cut enough to get the corporate brands drooling, while still credible enough in the streets to be respected. Drake had the opportunity to completely change the landscape of the music business, yet at the end of the day stopped one step short from becoming a true pioneer.

Rewind to February 13, 2009, and the release of Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape. Without having a huge buzz at the time, and not even being tapped for the 2009 Freshman Class XXL Cover (which, when you look at the time of the magazine’s release, he hadn’t really done enough to deserve yet, and most people at the time weren’t screaming that he was slighted), I downloaded a project from a singer/rapper named Aubrey Graham.

Turns out I wasn’t alone.

Having what could go down as the biggest mixtape ever (I mean, he was nominated for two Grammy’s off it), Drake put himself in position to be the biggest new artist in urban music since 50 Cent.

“When my album drops bitches’ll buy it for the picture/And niggaz’ll buy it, too, and claim they got it for they sister,” —Drake, “Best I Ever Had”

Rarely does an artist come across that can be commercial enough to appeal to top 40 female teeny boppers, while being agile enough to go bar for bar with any rapper in the game. Seriously, who would have thought a Canadian half-Jewish singer-rapper hybrid who grew up in a wealthy neighborhood and played a disabled kid on a Nickelodeon show would get requests for features without an album, all while still being respected by the toughest critics in the hip-hop blogosphere.

Yet, when it came down to it, Drake didn’t go all the way.

Everyone knows the current model of the music business is archaic and on life support. New artist development is gone at nearly every major label, replaced by signing artists with singles of the moment to restrictive all-in 360 deals (that most labels don’t take advantage of and just sell music/ringtones while locking up valuable rights artists can’t use to pursue real money-making avenues). Everyone is looking for the definitive new business model in music, even if, as I think it will, that turns out to be a variety of options that will vary drastically artist to artist.

That being said, let’s look at what the value of a record label is in this day and age. We’ve already cut artist development, so you need to get your music right on your own without A&R guidance.

Promotion and marketing: Labels are good at going from 60-100, but not 0-60; artists still need to get their buzz going themselves.

Videos: Labels can provide the true budgets needed for traditional videos, but now with technology, artists can team up with great up and coming directors to create visuals for next to nothing.

Radio: Labels again are good at going from 60-100 but often look for early starts they want the artists to contribute.

Setting up distribution and monetizing: Selling/getting your records in stores is obviously important, and, to their credit, labels have gotten better in the last year at monetizing other avenues, yet still aren’t great—a good manager and team is much more crucial in this role, in my opinion.

“Buzz so big I could probably sell a blank disc,” Drake, “Best I Ever Had”

By the time “Best I Ever Had” reached the top of the charts, Drake had already successfully done everything a major label could by himself (even if Cash Money/Young Money and Drake’s team did put some paper behind him to promote the single at radio, and gave him a huge platform with Wayne on tour). At this point, there was nothing a label could do for Drake, and everyone knew this.

Here is where it all went wrong, in my humble opinion.

Instead of continuing the independent domination on his own, Drake went the typical way of going label to label in a bidding war against each other trying to get the most money. In this day and age I don’t see the advantage in signing to a label after you’ve done it all entirely independently yourself.

Labels have the tendency to often get in the way, slow things down, and make the wrong choices (as we so often see). Putting myself in Drake’s shoes, I totally understand the concept of getting money from the labels to fund my project/wallet and the comfort of going the traditional way and not taking the risks associated with trying something new, but for someone who is “so far gone” with what he’s done and accomplished on his own, don’t stop at third base.

Easier said then done, right?

Not necessarily. With the level of success Drake had independently, the features he had coming up with major artists, his clean-cut image, and everything else going on, he could have violently tipped the entire music industry upside-down and revolutionized the concept for others artists, both new and old, to follow, all while owning 100-percent of everything he did and building and owning his business exclusively on his own. Sprite even tapped him for a Super Bowl commercial that featured a song he did under the Interscope umbrella, not his own label (”Forever” is from the More Than A Game Soundtrack).

“The game needs change and I’m the muthafuckin’ cashier,” Drake, “Successful”

I don’t mean to give away the secrets on what I’m working on, but imagine going to company X, who cuts a check to have Drake be a spokesperson for the brand, then pays to create a music video that features and can also be cut into a commercial for company X that’s shown on TV to millions of people thousands of times. To top it off, the consumer has to go to Drake’s website to get the entire song (or mixtape/album) for free, where before they download they’re forced to watch that 30 second music video/advertisement about the product.

Makes too much sense, right?

Not only would Drake be getting the upfront check and huge promotions blowing him up even more, but also getting paid for advertising on his site each time someone downloads his music (which is free to consumers). In the event it went nowhere, company X isn’t committed to wasting a ton of money, and if successful, Drake is making more money than he could imagine. Immediately, if successful, this changes the entire model of the music business. This is just one of millions of potential opportunities to monetize music, which I get into in a different blog entry altogether, but by now you get the picture on what I think Drake could have done.

Now, don’t get it twisted, Drake still has the opportunity to be wildly successful (not to say he isn’t already), and I love my people at Universal-Motown (hi, Sylvia!) and VERY few people could even try what I speak on, but this is an atypical situation where history could have been made.

In this marketplace, especially where the economy is, Drake went the 100-percent safe route, and at the end of the day, did what he felt was best for him. Maybe I’m looking too much into it and the rebel side of me just wants to see something new shake up everything, but I really think Drake could have revolutionized the music game, and to some extent, the entertainment and advertising industries. For someone with so much against him yet was able to do it all himself to just drop the ball at the buzzer disappoints me. I just think of what could have been.

“And Sylvia be tellin’ Tez damn, Drake, fly,” Drake, “Say What’s Real”

On June 28th, 2009, Drake announced he had signed a record deal officially, with Universal Motown. Someone else will have the opportunity soon to do it 100-percent independently without a major. I just hope they see it, understand it, and take it to revolutionize and revitalize this business we call music.

That is a very interesting article. Very valid points. I never thought about how far he got without a major label and then signed with one. What if....?

nice article.

but why would anyone sign to Motown these days? that's like being put in the Witness Protection Program.

errant said:

Just got done with the artile and as much as I dont really feel Drake, I agree with the author. He could HAVE done alot more, so could have alot of other independent artists, but they get the cheese i their eyes and it's over. labels are not a good idea.


Now.....his album has only sold 200,000 copies to this date and that's not even Gold status. It wont because most of his fan base are young people from 12-25. They are going to download it and be done with it in a month. If he was smart he would have made hi wuality mp3's out of his music recorded in a real studio and kept all the proceeds for himself....there would'nt have even been a way to download it or give it to the masses...with the advertisment published on the site before you even could download the album....

drake is the culmination of wackness that hip-hop has become. (mostly the mainstream)

this guy is a professional actor. how am i supposed to believe any of this fake ass shit that he is saying?

I can't think of many actors turned musicians that haven't been critically panned/rejected by the masses.

its a joke

I wouldnt consider growing up in poor living conditions a good excuse for rappers to drop ignorant lyrics but drake is just another suburban kid trying to fit in.

you would think that a person in his position would be a lot more creative.

I guess it should be expected in a music genre that revolves around gimmicks.

paisleypark4 said:

That's what so interesting. That's not even his actual full album, it's a an EP of some of the songs that was on the So Far Gone mixtape (which was a free download) with 2 extra tracks That's pretty inpressive

His real debut album still hasn't come out

That boy ain't gonna put shit out, watch. And if he does, it's gonna feature more guest stars than him.
[Edited 2/12/10 15:39pm]

Timmy84 said:

Exactly a major release from him is gonna have a track with everyone, you will see Beyonce, Alicia, Lil Wanye,Kanye,Eminem,Flo-rida,Tpain, and to redeem the project they will throw in some old school rapper or rb singer like LL or Al Green. I can see the blueprint for this album already.

minneapolisFunq said:

In his case, he did prove himself to the underground hip hop scene. He didn't go all out with promotion and stuff, he hooked with hip hop group Little Brother and released a couple of mixtapes before he did So Far Gone (Comeback Season and Room For Improvement were actually better than SFG)

He doesn't rap about living a hard life because it's not exactly what he's lived He raps about getting your heart broken, past relationships, and having fame.

I don't think he's the culmination of wackness, I mean that could be:
50 Cent
Bow Wow
New Boyz
Soulja Boy
Rich Boy
Nick Cannon

....and the list goes on

Timmy84 said:

he already has

minneapolisFunq said:

Kanye is a prime example of someone who did not grow up in a poor neghborhood - turned rapper...his upbringing was decent and grew up middle class, however his tecnique with production and real life lyrics on personal growth experience and political intrest have made him more intresting than most rappers out right now.

He's so overrated. I don't get the hype.

bboy87 said:

I mean with Motown.

paisleypark4 said:

You just reminded me why we're friends

Timmy84 said:

I think he's using Motown only as a distribution deal...kinda like everyone does these days

I think so far gone is his peak but who knows.

bboy87 said:

I see...

Timmy84 said:

Yeah but motown cant even do that right, and all that is, is shipping shit to stores, but the promo part, im sure that he is giving alot of his signing money to that because Motown has no money to do promotion

lastdecember said:

Exactly.

Complex Magazine Feb[img]/Mar 2010 edition. Can sum bodie say LIPS??

bboy87 said:

LOL

Drake did nothing to prove himself to the underground scene.

You cant be underground when you were already famous before becoming a rapper.

Drake is corny, his punchlines are elementary, his flow is the same on every song(boring and slow for the stupid people who like his stuff), his subject matter is contrived,he lacks charisma, a large portion of his songs are simply attempts at scoring a hit, etc.

nothing new to see here.

just another "swag" rapper

Oh come on guys Drake is OK. 'Best I Ever Had' and 'Say Something' are great, 'Forever' is OK, 'Bedrock' is utter trash. He is not above average but he is OK don't hate him

minneapolisFunq said:

Before he got with Wayne and Young Money, he was doing mixtapes with Little Brother and 9th Wonder. On Comeback Season and Room For Improvement were alot better than the stuff on So Far Gone


Thrill Is Gone
http://www.youtube.com/wa...t8IOh_tpPI

Don't You Have A Man (with Dwele)
http://www.youtube.com/wa...zauLxHxNNg

Think Good Thoughts
http://www.youtube.com/wa...y0PUQuwxxQ

Where To Now
http://www.youtube.com/wa...hZ2R5S8Nsc

Special
http://www.youtube.com/wa...nC5WZr7AvQ
[Edited 2/13/10 6:51am]

five tracks?

i wouldnt really consider those mixtapes underground seeing how popular they are.

every song from comeback season has atleast 300k views.


dude is wiggidy wiggidy wack!

bboy87 said:

Girl you know its...girl you know its...girl you know its TRUUU

Professional actor?

this is the dude people call Wheelchair Jimmy, right?

LMAO!

I think 2 things hurt him: 1) signing with the Gremlin and 2) that wackass video for Best I Ever Had that was produced by Kanye. That basically killed his momentum right there....

minneapolisFunq said:

They've gotten that many views because So Far Gone's blown up

Room For Improvement (2006)
# Title Length
1. "Intro" 0:52
2. "Pianist Hands Interlude" 1:11
3. "Special" (Feat. Voyce) 4:52
4. "Do What You Do" 3:48
5. "Money (Remix)" (Feat. Nickelus F) 2:25
6. "AM 2 PM" (Feat. Nickelus F) 3:28
7. "City Is Mine" 3:53
8. "Drake's Voice Mail Box #1" 1:12
9. "Bad Meaning Good" (Feat. Slakah the Beatchild) 2:32
10. "Thrill Is Gone" 3:02
11. "Make Things Right" 2:41
12. "Video Girl" 3:46
13. "Drake's Voice Mail Box #2" 0:16
14. "Come Winter" 5:28
15. "Extra Special" 2:58
16. "About the Game (Remix)" (Feat. Trey Songz) 4:12
17. "All This Love" (Feat. Voyce) 3:20
18. "Drake's Voice Mail Box #3" 1:12
19. "A Scorpio's Mind" (Feat. Nickelus F) 3:52
20. "S.T.R.E.S.S." (Feat. Nickelus F) 3:43
21. "Try Harder" 2:22
22. "Kick, Push (Remix)" (Feat. Lupe Fiasco) 4:44
23. "U.P.A. Outro"


Comeback Season
1. Intro
2. The Presentation
3. Comeback Seaon
4. Closer (feat. Andreena Mill)
5. Replacement Girl (feat. Trey Songz)
6. City Is Mine
7. Barry Bonds Freestyle
8. Going In For Life
9. Where To Now (Prod. By J Dilla)
10. Share
11. Give Ya (feat. Trey Songz)
12. Dont U Have A Man (feat. Little Brother & Dwele)
13. Bitch Is Crazy
14. The Last Hope (feat. Kardinal Offishall & Andreena Mill)
15. Must Hate Money (feat. Rich Boy)
16. Asthma Team
17. Do What U Do (remix) (feat. Clipse)
18. Easy To Please (feat. Richie Sosa)
19. Faded
20. Underdog (feat. Trey Songz)
21. Think Good Thoughts (Prod. By 9th Wonder)
22. Teach U A Lesson
23. Missin You (remix)
24. Man Of The Year (feat. Lil’ Wayne)



and did you just say "wiggidy wiggidy wack"?

BklynBabe said:

yep, he played this kid who was jock but was shot by someone he was trying to help. I remember watching that episode saying "Oh shit! They shot Jimmy!"

How can this guy be a disappointment.. does he even have an official album out?

he just wanna be

he jus wanna bee

successful